Pedro Neto

Arsenal have flagged their interest to Pedro Neto's agents, without acting on it

Another line in the winger search shaping Arsenal's summer after the Vinícius Júnior failure. Two sources wrote on 10 August that Arsenal had told the Portuguese's representatives they would like to sign him: Si Phillips (TeamTalk, a Chelsea reporter) and SportsView. Phillips himself plays it down — Neto is neither on a forced-sale list nor a stated Arsenal priority. The price is around £70-75m and the competition is crowded: Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, with Al-Hilal lurking on personal terms. A structural caveat: Neto is left-footed and plays on the right, whereas Arsenal are looking for a left winger.

Latest development

**New entry, opened on 16/08 on reporting from 10 August.** What is established: two independent outlets report that Arsenal made contact with the player's camp. What is not: everything else — no bid, no club-to-club talks, no pickup by Ornstein, Romano, Sky or the BBC. The status therefore stays at the floor, and will not move without a top-tier source. **Update 18/08 — the door closes from both sides at once.** Chelsea have raised their price: English outlets now talk of close to £100m, against £70-75m eight days earlier, the club pointing to the state of the market — Yan Diomande's move to Real Madrid, worth up to £120m, and Bradley Barcola's valuation at PSG. At the same time, Al-Hilal are said to have settled personal terms with the player. Arsenal are still named among the suitors, alongside Manchester City and Tottenham, but only as observers. What is established: nothing more than on 16/08 on Arsenal's side — no bid, no club-to-club talks. What is not: both the new price and the Saudi agreement come from aggregators alone, with no pickup whatsoever from Ornstein, Romano, Sky or the BBC. The score drops eight points: the file has not progressed, it has become more expensive and more crowded.